We spend a third of our lives asleep, and poor sleep has a negative impact on our health, affecting everything from general happiness to performance at work to physical fitness and even weight. So it seems worthwhile to optimise the spaces we use for sleeping.

Routine for your bedroom

One really simple thing you can do to keep your bedroom pleasant is to open the window each morning – ten minutes is enough to move stale air around if you’re short of time or it’s cold outside.

Many lifestyle experts encourage daily bedmaking, and a smooth cover can improve the look of your bed. A new matching bedding set goes a long way towards creating a serene, clean look. And if you have a couple of spares you can quickly change the look of your room each time you do a bedding wash (apparently once a fortnight is the magic interval for changing your sheets).

Store linen sets near your bed, perhaps in an ottoman or an underbed drawer, and fold everything into one pillowcase so that you don’t have to hunt through piles of sheets for a matching set.

Seasonal changes in your bedroom

As mentioned above, you can quickly change the look of your bedroom by putting on a new bedding set. But you can go further and do more by switching round between seasons. Seasonally appropriate duvets and quilts will give you a better night’s sleep when the weather changes. Vacuum pack clean, dry bedding out of season and keep it in your storage unit until the season turns. And while you’re putting winter bedding into storage, why not get a few quotes on your self-storage insurance to check you are still getting good value for money.

Lighting – and darkening – your bedroom

Proper darkness can be really beneficial in establishing a good sleep routine. Blackout curtains will keep light pollution from leaking into your sleeping space. Also think about how to conceal glowing devices and light coming in from the landing.

Once you’ve achieved your ideal level of darkness, it’s time to think about lighting. If you like to read in bed – particularly if you like reading after your partner has gone to sleep, consider a decent reading lamp to improve your experience. Also check out the lighting in your bedroom that you are using before sleep. Daylight bulbs used late at night, while great for crafting, may inhibit you from feeling sleepy.

If you need sleep tips, the NHS has some.

Keeping your bedroom calm

Opt for soothing colours in bedding and other textiles in your room. Heavy fabrics give a sense of stillness, and can help with noise pollution. For some people, certain scents can make a space calmer.

Keep clutter out of your bedroom, and allow yourself the luxury of some restful empty space. Give yourself enough storage for the things that you really want to keep in your room, so that it is quick and easy to tidy up.

Think about whether you’d like to keep work and electronics out of your bedroom. Some people do rely on devices for relaxation, though, so this is a very personal choice.

Something to bear this in mind when planning your bedroom

The ideal bedroom is a place that will give you, personally, a good night’s sleep, so whatever you need, make it happen!